~~~~~~~~~~THE BLURB~~~~~~~~~~

To rescue her family from poverty and avoid marrying her slope-shouldered cousin, seventeen-year-old Orchid competes to be one of the Emperor's wives. When she is chosen as a lower-ranking concubine she enters the erotically charged and ritualised Forbidden City. But beneath its immaculate facade lie whispers of murders and ghosts, and the thousands of concubines will stoop to any lengths to bear the Emperor's son. Orchid trains herself in the art of pleasuring a man, bribes her way into the royal bed, and seduces the monarch, drawing the attention of dangerous foes. Little does she know that China will collapse around her, and that she will be its last Empress.

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This book is off on its travels round the world as a ray. The order is below (Shipping prefs in brackets):

BOKWORMY - Portugal (anywhere)
voveryte - Lithuania (anywhere)
bilbi - France (anywhere)
LESEHEST - Norway (anywhere)
Bubble-Dragon - UK (anywhere)
GateGypsy - Canada (anywhere)
Bluestocking88 - US (US preferred)
Jayebirck - US (US preferred)
Rrrcaron - US (anywhere)
miss-gonewest - Aus (Aus preferred)

If there are any problems and you want to be skipped or moved down the list just PM me and let me know and I'll see what I can do to fit you in somewhere else!

Posted out to BOKWORMY today - I know my Weight of the Water ray is heading your way too (which is bad planning on my part I guess!) so don't worry if it takes you a little longer to get to the end of this as well! LOL! Hope you enjoy it!

Thank-YOU fairy-dust for sharing and posting it over.

LOL, not a problem I´m currently reading another bookring but I shall be quick *-)

Kisses X

Empress Orchid was a real page turner. I really like the character Orchid who was a strong, independent woma... a real fighter. Enjoyed Anchee Min style of writing, looking forward to reading her other works.

RELEASE NOTES:

On the way to voveryte in Lithuania!

Received today! Thank you!

A very fascinating book, I was captured into it on the first pages. I couldn't believe that the story has happened once, though it has been told in a way Anchee Min liked it to be, and I like it too. I would really like to read more about Empress Orchid now. Though I can't tell that I find Orchid being a woman I admire. Yes, she was strong and independent in a way, and very sincere at the same time too. But sometimes I wished she showed much more courage in political games or dealing with Nooharoo, her rival, but then she was who she was and that was her story.

I've contacted bilbi and have the address, hope to send the book next week.

Received today ! I think it's the first book I received from Lithuania !!!!
Thanks to you all \o/

A really nice trip into nineteenth century China.
I can't help thinking of that very same century in Europe, with the industrial revolution for instance...
It's very interesting to learn about the Opium wars from the Chinese point of view. Not so long ago I read Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf - Frankish crusaders were not so romantic as some might have depicted them...
Just a book to "enlighten" History !
Thanks for sharing.

This looks like an interesting read.
I just have to finish another bookring first, hope it won't take long.

Thanks for sharing, fairy-dust :D

I didn't get time to finish this book, so I sent it to Bubble-Dragon...

Received today with thanks.

This looks realy interesting and as I have just finished a book, I'll start this tonight!! Hopefully I'l have it read by the end of the weekend!!

I actually really enjoyed this book. It's not the type that I would normally read but it kept me hooked, wanting to know what was going to happen next! Orchid's life must have been tough and lonely but she had a strong charactor which kept you in the story.

Now off to GateGypsy at a last

Arrived in the mail today from Bubble-dragon, along with my long-awaited copy of The Dark Crystal and some very exciting bonus Norwegian stamps attached to the inside of the re-used wrapping paper **grins** I'm looking forward to reading this, but I guarantee it won't be ready to pass on within the 4-6 week window. It'll take me longer, but I'll get to it as quickly as possible. Thank you in advance for your patience!

To keep you updated! I know it's been much longer than the 4-6 week window. I still have the book. It's perfectly safe. In fact, I intend to begin reading it tomorrow (I'm reading Animal Farm today, but it's hardly more than 100 pages long, so I may even start this book today). I will be contacting Bluestocking88 for an address right away. Once I've finished the book, I will wrap and address it. However, I am not able to mail it away at this time. I just recently lost my job, and am not yet re-employed and financially back on my feet. As soon as I have the money to, I will send the book along, and I will post here when that is done. My sincerest apologies for the incredible delay.

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August 8
I've finally finished this book. I must say, it was a bit of an effort. I didn't find the story particularly compelling. What I enjoyed the most were the details (Like, for example, that the Emperor's office at Jehol was called "the Hall of Literary Zest" -- I would love to see what that looks like written in Chinese characters.) I am glad I read this book, and am grateful to have had the chance to, and also grateful for all the other ray-participants' patience. I have Bluestocking's address, and will pass this book on as soon as I can afford to. I will post here when that happens.

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Bluestocking88 asked to be skipped.

July 11: awaiting Jayebirck's addy.